Freezing unit



0d 14, 1941 E. H. DAvls 2,258,975

FREEZING UNIT Filed Aug. 9, 1939 F Fil' I| 'Il I'IIII Wwf",

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREEZING UNIT EdwardH. Davis, Baltimore, Md.

Application August 9, 1939,. Serial No. 289,291

2 Claims.

This invention refers to freezing equipment 'and more particularly todevices for manufacturing relatively small cubes or rolls of articialice, and has among its objects to provide a freezing magazine capablevof being arranged in banks `for general use; which will be appreciablyecient in use and in the time taken for making the cubes; that will beself-dumping; capable of being aerated for clearing the ice made; thatwill be -compact in construction, yet free from icescaling and otherobjectionable features ordinarily met with in the making of artificialice.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully setforth.

In theory, many methods for making artificial -cubes of ice haverecommended the procedures of using molds, partitioned trays, rubbermolds, and other arrangements for preforming the cubes directly.However, in practice, the commercial method followed uses a standardblock of ice, cut into small square cubes with spaced saws run in unisonand consecutively in longitudinal and transverse directions. This is arelatively costly and wasteful procedure, but since it is profitable,itis still adhered to, as well as because of the fact ithat the methodis known to be successful. The methods of the theoretical naturereferred to yhave not been developed adequately to be practical and havenot been proven successful be'- cause of the trouble and inconveniencearising bythe cubes sticking to the mold after freezing vo'r becomingdamaged on removal. In other words, they do not aord any saving in laboror produce a better article. With these conditions rexisting and thefacts known, applicant has produced an arrangement of equipment and amethod of using same with it, that will produce small'cubes ofartificial ice, quickly, economically, and in desirable form. Thearrangement consists of magazines of relatively narrow width securedadjacent to each other in spaced banks, having spaced tubes passingthrough them with Vwater supplied from an outsidecasing, and freezingmedium circulating through the magazine in Contact with the externalsurface of the tubes.

The arrangement is such that it produces a number of valuable features,in which are included; a reduction in the vtime of freezing from aboutforty-eight hours for the solid cake to one hour in cubes in thismethod.

Also to include the features of making the ice of the cubes clear andtransparent; having the cubes readily removable in perfect form; theprevention of ice-scaling between the framework and casing; and the easymanipulation of the 'magazines- The time of freezing is reduced becauseof the close and continuous contact of the cooling uid with the tubessurrounding `the water to be cooled into cubes. The cubes are removablebecause they are frozen in the tubes proper, but not at the portionwhere the tubes connect with the wall platesbecause of the lack ofcooling fluid directly at this location. In fact, the water freezes withslightly concaved shrunken end portions, and in doing so, loosens thewhole cube in the individual tube. The ice-scaling is prevented betweenthe walls of separaterma'gazines by the spacing, designed to provide forthis condition. The cubes are also loosened from the Walls of the tubesby the reversing of the cold brine process, through the use of a warmcirculating fluid in place of it for a few moments before the -magazineis removed from the freezing tank. The flow of the'cooling or warmingfluids, as the case may be, is arranged from a manifold that Vsends jetsdirectly to the exterior walls of the tubes The latter are staggered tosuit the flow more economically. The entire outer casing is surroundedwith an insulation that makes the effects of heat more sufficient,prevents ice from forming on the edges of the magazines, and increasesthe production of the device. It should be particularly noted `that thecubes are frozen transversely over their longitudinal length, which isthe quickest manner of vdoing so, 4and the best in regard to convectioncurrent effects. In other .methods proposed, the cooling is done throughthe vends of the cubes and has to travel longitudinally through thewater, which is a most difficult manner of heating or cooling water forthe cubes.

In the drawing which illustrates an example of this invention:

Figure 1 is a general View in perspective of a cube freezing unitembodying this invention,

` Figure 2 is a sectional Vview through the freezing fluid chamber of `amagazine, indicating the general layout of the tubes, the flow ofcirculation, and the peripheral'insulati'on,

Figure Y3 is an enlarged sectional view through the side portion of amagazine, and on line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a diagram indicating the general arrangement of the systemused and described herein.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawing.

In the construction indicated in the drawing,

a narrow outer casing I forms the external portion around a magazine 2for making artificial ice-cubes 22, and is adapted to contain fresh orclean water 5. The magazine has Walls 3 perforated and arranged withtransverse metal tubes 4 arranged in staggered order. These tubes openup into the water space 5 and collect water from same externally. Thecooling fiuid 6 passes into and out of the magazine through a pair ofend manifolds l with open jets 8 facing the adjacent tubes as indicatedin Figure 2. This fiuid goes in one set of the tubes l, passes out ofthe jets 8,

into the magazines, from which it is drawn up into the second set oftubes 'I on the opposite side of the magazines back to the crculator.This fiuid is circulated around the external portion of the tubes withinthe shell from one of the manifolds and taken off by the other intothecooling system 9. The system has pipingv I4, circulators I connectedwith suitable freezing liquid storage II, as well as a three way valveI2, leading to a warm circulating system to be used alternately in thisarrangement. The magazine and casing are surrounded with a balsa boardor other insulation I3 to protect and insulate the fresh water in thesame. Handles 20, are provided for convenience in handling.

In the operation of the magazine, the fresh Water is placed in thecasing I and fills the tubes 4. The cold brine or freezing medium isthen circulated through the interior of the magazine, coming through thejets 8 in the manifolds l, cools same and freezes the liquid in thetubes covered by the medium. The end portions of the tubes secured inthe magazine do not cool so rapidly and effectively, because it is incontact with the fresh water, and therefore, the Water does not freezein such end portions, but makes the ends of the cube slightly concaved.

When the cubes, regardless of what their actual form may be in the tubesor sleeves used, are frozen completely, the cooling medium is shut oland the warm fiuid passes through sufficiently to warm up the walls ofthe sleeves and release any portion of the ice cubes attached to same.This takes but a moment or so. The magazine is then disconnected fromits piping, and removed, and laid on its side, so the cubes can drop outand be collected for selling or using purposes.

In using the magazine, three magazines are connected together in bank,in the casing I to provide a convenient supply, and are spaced sidewisefrom each other by about an inch space in order that water will notfreeze in between. This spacing under the rate or usual circulationadopted, is sufficient to prevent the ice-scaling. The bottom of thecasing has an air connection I5, easily detachable and removable, forsupplying air to the fresh water. This air will circulate sufciently tokeep the water in the tubes aerated and on freezing, free fromcloudiness. The insulation board I3, serves its purpose, as alreadyoutlined, and is built preferably with its Walls extended beyond themagazine at I6, to provide mechanical protection in addition to theinsulation, and reduce the sounds made when removing or inserting themagazines in the casing. The board also softens the handling of themagazines sufficiently to prevent breakage that might otherwise becaused by rough handling in cans not so protected. This method isefficient and quick and greatly reduces the amount of labor and costrequired to make the cubes or pieces of predetermined form, ready foruse, as it actually makes them, and avoids the sawing and cutting nowgenerally used to make the desired cubes.

Clips or other convenient means hold the magazines in place in thecasing and spaced from each other.

The magazines are preferably set in guides 23 internally provided on theend sides of the casing I, and arranged as channels for them to readilyslide Adown into or out of. 'I'he guides follow down the entire lengthof the casing and thus brace the magazines firmly in place, andstrengthen the casing. The casing is also provided with a cover 25 tokeep dust and lint from falling into the water used for the cubes; Aspray head is provided on the aerating line to spread the air all overthe interior of the casing.

While but one form. of the inventionis shown in the drawing, it is notdesired to limit this application for patent to this construction, or inany other way, otherwise than limited by the prior art, as it isappreciated that other forms could be made, that would employ the sameprinciples and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an ice-cube maker, the combination of an external casing, adaptedto hold a supply of water, and a plurality of watertight, sealedmagazines held in spaced relationship within the casing, said magazineshaving each a plurality of relatively short rigid tubes extendingthrough the same transversely from Wall to wall below the normal waterlevel and open at the ends to allow the filling water to stand`internally Within them, and conductor connections to the magazines ai"-ranged to provide for the circulation of freezing fluids therein andaround the external peripheral surfaces of the tubes situated betweenthe Walls of the individual magazines to directly cool and refrigeratethe water filling the interior of said tubes.

2. In an ice-cube maker, the combination of an external casing, saidexternal casing being of rectangular form for holding filling water,having insulated walls and guide channels provided internally thereof,magazines of rectangular and relatively thin form slidably held insaid'casing guide channel in spaced relation to each other, each of saidmagazines having its Walls pierced with spaced holes and having tubesattached therein and extending transversely across the magazine forretaining the filling water therein to be frozen, and means forconducting refrigerant medium to the interiors of the magazines to becirculated therein and around the external surfaces of the tubes andinternal surfaces of the magazine walls to directly precool waterbetween the magazines and freeze water within said tubes.

EDWARD H. DAVIS'.

